Executive Orders

While never directly mentioned in the constitution, executive orders have been used by every president. The concept is drawn from Article II's mention of a "grant of executive power."

Once signed, executive orders are considered law. The legislative branch plays no role in passing an executive order and they cannot legally overturn one either. They may attempt to pass a bill that defunds an order, but the president still has veto power over that bill. However, an executive order may be overturned by the judiciary branch, which has found two executive orders to be unconstitutional. The executive branch can also reverse executive orders signed by previous presidents.

Both Presidents Bill Clinton and Donald Trump signed executive orders on their first day in office. The last 3 presidents signed an average of 14 executive orders during their first 100 days in office.

Below, each tile represents one executive order. You can click or hover over it to see the date it was signed, the title of the order, and a link to a pdf version of the order (when available). Stripped orders were signed in the respective president's first 100 days in office.